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Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The

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7.5 User Score:

Universal acclaim

Based on 54 critic reviews
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Based on 529 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks / 2K Games

Developer: Bethesda Softworks

Genre(s): Role-Playing Game

Players: 1

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: March 20, 2006

Summary

Oblivion is a single-player game that takes place in Tamriel's capital province, Cyrodiil. You are given the task of finding the hidden heir to a throne that sits empty, the previous emperor having been killed by an unknown assassin. With no true Emperor, the gates to Oblivion (the equivalent of hell in the world of Tamriel) open, and demons begin to invade Cyrodiil and attack its people and towns. It's up to you to find the lost heir to the throne and unravel the sinister plot that threatens to destroy all of Tamriel. In keeping with the Elder Scrolls tradition, players have the option to experience the main quest at their own pace, and there are plenty of opportunities to explore the vast world and make your own way. Numerous factions can be joined, such as the thieves or mages guilds, and each contains its own complete storyline and the chance to rise to the head of the faction and reap further rewards. Oblivion features a groundbreaking new AI system, called Radiant AI, which gives non-player characters (NPCs) the ability to make their own choices based on the world around them. They decide where to eat or who to talk to and what they say. They sleep, go to church, and even steal items, all based on their individual characteristics. Full facial animations and lip-synching, combined with full speech for all dialog, allows NPCs to come to life like never before. [Bethesda]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Elder Scrolls III: Bloodmoon Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind Elder Scrolls III: Tribunal The Elder Scrolls IV: Knights of the Nine

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameFAQs GameSpot Guide GameSpot Hints & Cheats

Also On The Web: IGN First Impressions Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Games Radar (in-house)

Like Homer, once you've begun to consume what this eternity has to offer, you'll have no desire to stop. The fourth Elder Scrolls entry is utterly brilliant and should not be missed by any adventure-spirited gamer.

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100

Yahoo! Games

If you had anything particularly pressing to be doing at any point over the next few months, it's time to cancel it. Bethesda's much-anticipated fantasy action RPG Oblivion is every bit the game it promised to be, with stunning visuals and vast amounts of engrossing, well-designed gameplay.

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100

Sydney Morning Herald

The most captivating first-person role-playing game yet. This is essential gaming.

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100

Boomtown

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is less a videogame and more a life in and of itself. The longer I’m away from it the more I come to appreciate it.

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100

GamePro

Oblivion's more than just a game -- it's an entire world for the taking, the only single-player RPG that could possibly give a game like World of Warcraft a real run for its money.

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100

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Worth playing for the sense of discovery—each environment looks different from the last and requires a nuanced reaction—makes the action addictive.

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100

Times Online

An epic, not only because the immaculate world you inhabit is so immense, but also because the gameplay is fantastically intense.

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100

Computer Games Magazine

Now, however, the game is here, the hype has receded...and we're left appreciating what might be the best role-playing game ever made. [Jun 2006, p.61]

100

Entertainment Weekly

It’s just so damned big. That’s what you’ll say after playing Oblivion for more than an hour. Or, for that matter, 50 hours.

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100

Quandary

I honestly have to say that I am in favour of most of the changes and I think Oblivion is an awesome achievement from Bethesda.

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Game Chronicles

With its immersive environment, stunningly beautiful graphics, nonlinear gameplay, and extremely customizable player experience, this game accomplishes more than I have expected in a game and is simply difficult to put down.

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Gamer's Hell

Oblivion is far from a perfect game, but I can think of very few titles that come as close. It’s among the very best in terms of gameplay, audio, and graphics.

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Worth Playing

One of the best packages of the past several years, with no element even average; everything is as close to perfect as can be expected.

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Cheat Code Central

The graphics are nothing short of incredible. All of the environments, whether they be woodlands, cities or a version of Hell, are highly imaginative and distinct. I didn't detect any reuse of textures. Everything appears to have been created fresh, from scratch.

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AtomicGamer

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion moves the RPG genre forward with a massive world, a beautiful presentation, deep gameplay and action, and many great plots and quests to finish.

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Game Over Online

Oblivion is by far the closest I have come to playing D&D Sunday afternoons with my friends (yes, I did that, though I’m on medication now), all wrapped up in a stunning package with tens of thousands of lines of spoken dialog and good music.

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Gamer 2.0

The standard has been set, and it’s been set ridiculously high. Whether it’s the fantastic production values or its nearly flawless gameplay mechanics, we couldn’t be happier with Oblivion.

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Loaded Inc

The graphics in Oblivion have to be seen to be believed. Screenshots do not do the game justice. This game deserves a "game of the year" nod just for its artistic beauty.

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Game Informer

The bar for the next generarion of RPG's has been set. [May 2006, p.92]

PC Zone UK

If you love gaming - if you love leaving your identity at the door and embarking on red-blooded adventure that's previously only been the domain of high literature and childhood imagination, I can give no higher recommendation. Make no mistake, this is more than the best role-playing game of our times. It's the best one we've ever seen.

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FiringSquad

There’s certainly room for improvement, we could in fact stand to enjoy some randomly generated quests like in Daggerfall and a bigger game world, but Oblivion is as close to free-form RPG perfection as you can get nowadays.

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PC Gamer

The best compliment I can pay Oblivion is that it achieves far more than I'd even thought possible. It's a superlative RPG. [May 2006, p.80]

BonusStage

The scale, beauty and immersion of the game’s open-ended world is unprecedented, the character creation and progression systems are deep and involving and the gameplay that backs it all up is solid and insatiably addictive.

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Game Power Australia

This is an enormous world that will leave you enchanted, occasionally regretting your decisions, sometimes proud and always enthralled.

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GameZone

One of those truly satisfying gems that show up every now and then, and one of the most brilliantly conceived role-playing games you will play this year.

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GamerNode

Overall, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is one game that should not be missed. Oblivion offers up an overwhelming amount of content, coupled with one of the largest and most realistic environments ever seen in a RPG.

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Jolt Online Gaming UK

A refreshing, immersive, massive, satisfying and hugely impressive game.

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ActionTrip

Even though Oblivion might hurt your PC in ways it hasn't been hurt or overheated before, and barring certain technical drawbacks, (one of which would be an occasional AI quirk from the friendly NPCs or a rough-around-the-edges side quest line), Bethesda just pushes the bar in every possible way.

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netjak

An incredibly solid RPG. The sheer variety of gameplay elements available, paths you can take, and quests in the game make it well worth a purchase. There is no reason why any RPG aficionado should not own this title.

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DailyGame

Oblivion clearly isn't for everyone, but if open-ended sandbox games are your thing, and if you've got a hundred or so hours to just relax in another world, it sounds like Bethesda has created a new game with your name plastered all over it.

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GameSpot

"Morrowind" earned recognition for being one of the best role-playing games in years, but the immersive and long-lasting experience it provided wasn't for everyone. Oblivion is hands-down better, so much so that even those who'd normally have no interest in a role-playing game should find it hard to resist getting swept up in this big, beautiful, meticulously crafted world.

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IGN

The best single player role playing experience to come along in years.

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PC Gamer UK

Oblivion is a messy masterpiece; accomplished, bold, huge and occasionally rough around the edges. Your adventures are more varied than those of any other game I could name, and magnificently rendered by the game's powerhouse graphics and physics... Narcotically addictive. [Apr 2006, p.68]

Just RPG

On its own merits, Oblivion is an amazing hack and slash game with many strong roleplaying entities and technological achievements. All of the tools are there for a mind blowing RPG.

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Games Master UK

It's been a slow few years for the single-player RPG. This makes up for all of it. [May 2006, p.68]

PC Format

The 21st Century's finest, most involving roleplaying game so far. [May 2006, p.85]

Pelit (Finland)

Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion finally has what the other Elder Scrolls games have striven for: a fascinating and believable fantasy world with tons of things to do and enjoy. The story and missions are crafted a lot better than before and you can easily lose yourself in the game watching the incredible graphics while the sun slowly sets in the horizon. Truly, an experience. [May 2006]

GamingTrend

While the game does have a few flaws, there is simply nothing else out there like Oblivion. This is your early contender for Game of the Year, regardless of platform.

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The New York Times

A game so vast and varied that it would probably take hundreds of hours of play to see and experience everything, if that is possible at all.

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GameShark

The pacing in Oblivion is better; things get interesting much quicker which leads to a faster sense of accomplishment.

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Game Revolution

The number of options is so vast, it's nearly paralyzing figuring out what it is you want to do next.

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1UP

Much like that infamous Japanese MMORPG, Oblivion promises total freedom of character generation but fails to deliver that perfectly.

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GamerFeed

Bethesda's "Morrowind" is a great videogame, but its successor, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, does exactly what every sequel should do, which is taking its predecessor, beat the hell out of it, and leave it for dead.

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Total Video Games

Oblivion is a game that defines freedom within a videogame, one that accepts whatever role players choose and allowing them to play the game as they see fit; for this reason alone, Oblivion is a game with very few rivals - a flawed masterpiece.

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My Gamer

It's mechanically wonderful, visually awesome, and not terribly innovative in plot. If you're new to the Elder Scrolls or RPGs, by all means, jump in here.

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games(TM)

It's heavily steeped in RPG tradition, however, its appeal stretches far beyond the hardcore RPG demographic thanks to its ease of play, boundless ambition and focused attention to detail. [May 2006, p.112]

GameCritics

Oblivion is a game people will still be calling a classic a decade from now—and in the fickle world of gaming, that's high praise indeed.

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VideoGamer

Oblivion will consume you. It'll consume your life, your performance at work will suffer and you might not see friends in weeks. With hundreds of hours of gameplay, and an unprecedented amount of quests to be completed, I couldn't possibly recommend Oblivion enough.

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AceGamez

People wanting big, immersing RPG stories would be best advised to look at "The Longest Journey" games instead, but most fans of the series, despite the various changes that have made it more of an RPG-Lite, will not be disappointed by what Oblivion has to offer.

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2404.org

Truly what makes the game great is the world itself, which is just so much fun to explore.

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RPG Fan

Do yourself a favor, if you haven't gotten a hold of this and you're at all into PC RPGing, it's a necessity buy.

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Computer Games Online RO

Although some aspects of the game can’t be denied – the stupidity of the NPC’s (especially when they try to help you in a fight), the system requirements, the stability issues, the bugs – everything else is open for debate.

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GameSpy

Assuming one has a system with the muscle to run the game and the player is willing to accept some technical glitches, there simply isn't a better RPG experience available.

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Edge Magazine

It’s debatable whether Oblivion is a great adventure, but it’s certainly one of the broadest around and one that’s a willing canvas for a variety of approaches from its players. [May 2006, p.84]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.5 (out of 10) based on 529 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jason B gave it a9:
There seem to be people who hate on this game simply because it's not a "traditional" RPG. That is, in a game like this which is truly open; your own personal plot isn't spoonfed to you. Your own personal character history, motivation, and actions are all up to you and your imagination. If you don't have imagination and don't want to get lost in a non-linear world, this isn't for you. As far as the main quest goes, yes it's short and rather unimpressive but much like old RPGs the wonder of the game is in the side-quests and off-the-path interactions. I put dozens of hours into this game without touching the main quest for days on end; I've played through four times and STILL find new things to uncover with each playthrough The game is relaxing when you want it to be, tense when it needs to be, and always engrossing. I don't know why the "old school" crowd is so venomous because it doesn't adhere to the rules of other RPGs. Why does everything have to be the same? Don't see Oblivion for what it isn't, see it for what it is. I can appreciate and love both types. 9 because while the game most definitely deserves its acclaim, some of its niggles had no business being there, like the console-ish menu system and repetitive voice actors.

John B gave it a7:
The game has a lot of content and enviroments are beautiful. Unfortunately there are some serious flaws. All the npc- characters in the game are ass ugly, generic and they act like robots. There are only adults in the game, and no one has a beard. I'm glad that they didn't include dwarves in this game since they too would propably be as tall as anyone and without beard. The voice acting is mostly horrendous, and there are 2 or 3 music tracks in the whole game.

Alex M gave it a10:
I playing games since 1993. I played evrything from Tetris to Baldurs Gate. And i have to say this is best game ever made.Best RPG ever made , Best 3D RPG ever made , Best Graphics ever made , Best modding system ever made. Best Lore ever made. Oblivion is just Brilliant , if u didnt liked this game then u have no taste in beautiful things.

Marc D gave it a1:
The only department this game is a winner is the make up department. This game is really poor compared to previous TES titles. The terrain althought claimed wider than Morrowind give a shrinked feeling. You can cross it in 20 real time minutes jog on its wider part, talk about a country, 6KM long 4 Km wide if much If you take ingame time just multiply by 10 at a 12km jog, patetic. In this game the player (you) is treated like a complete moron, or the developer where too lazy to write directions. A compass lead you straight to all missions. Talking about missions the main mission could be good is many bad game design weren t choosen. Like the auto leveling system that let your ennemies exactly the same lvl you are. Like the ability to not lvl. Like the possibility to finish the game at LVL 2. Like many immortal NPC, rendering your personnal choices irrelevant. Like combat not being tied to your stats anymore, its 100% finger related without the need of any skill: Forward, slash, backward or sidestep, slash rince and repeat. No matter who is your ennemy this will work every time, always 100% guaranteed or your money back. Combat lead to quest 90% of the quests are combat related, so any class non, or having poor vocation to combat related is a no go, So in the end your personal choices are irrelevant. In Oblivion the less relevant parts are the player choice. Did i speak about how irrelevent the side missions are, very few fun but absolutely none interesting to the main plot. And why would they be since the ennemies LVL with you what is be the relevance of getting stronger faster richer and even lvl up ? You should be in a the capital state of an empire, But there s absolutely nothing that give you this feeling, you could very well be in alska summer or whatever. Oblivion is at least 50% of all the TESS Lore. No wonder the previous game design team where fired or quited in middle project. You really feel it. The game sweat shallowness, misconcepts, and faulty to lazy design. I could go on pages. But to go to the point this game is an insult to the RPG gaming and its player. Thinkin bettter this game doesnt deserve a 2.

Henry S gave it a10:
This is the best RPG ever, EVER. I have finished this game on three difirent platforms (360 (RROD), PS3 (YLOD) and PC. And not once have I found this game repetive. Every time I play again I find a new quest a new itme, or I just repeat the same quests just for the hell of it. Those who think this game is Lacklustre obiously have no taste in games or this isn't their genre for in which case shouldn't be reviewing it. Best RPG ever.

Jacob L gave it a10:
Oblivion, is simply brilliant game! The plot line is imersive, the gameplay is thrilling, the adventuring is invigerating! When it was first released, most common computer systems had a hard time playing it. But now, with rigs that can play Crysis at 250 FPS, Oblivion's graphics system is merly a tick on ones RAM. I recomend all action/adventure gamers imediatly go to there local game store and pick up a copy! Bravo Bethesda for creating such a wonderful game!

Adam C gave it a4:
I wanted really, really badly to like this game. It's absolutely beautiful (if you can run it that way, of course), and it's got some nice IDEAS as far as leveling goes. It's great that the NPCs have conversations with each other, it's great that there are theoretically consequences to your actions, it's wonderful that there are so many places to explore and quest, and the twitch combat is a breath of fresh air for those of us who really don't like watching our characters swing once every five seconds based on a dice roll. Unfortunately, none of these things are well-executed. Leveling based on the skills you use is intuitive and engaging and even if it's not a brand new idea, should have been a really wonderful way to feel like your character was getting stronger. Yet Oblivion has probably the worst leveling system I've ever experienced. Each skill is connected to an attribute. When you level up a skill, you gain a bonus to its connected attribute when you level. That means that to get the max (or close to) bonus for each level, you're going to have to grind away at minor skills (otherwise you'll level too quickly and won't receive a bonus). And if you choose just to play your character without trying to achieve bonuses, then monsters -- which level at the same time as you -- will ultimately surpass you in power. It also means a level one character is potentially the strongest character you can ever create. There's not much incentive to level. Of course if you don't level at all, you won't be able to use any new weapons or armor, because those begin dropping based on your level. And yeah, the highwaymen uses the same kind of armor as that bandit warlord at the end of the dungeon. The storyline begins with wonderful urgency, but as soon as the tutorial is over, you can basically ignore it completely. There are Oblivion Gates opening everywhere, but you could just leave them for like 2 years if you want, go do other things. The invasion will wait until you're good and ready to confront it. I'm all for open-ended and ambiguous, but removing structure entirely means that I really never felt engaged with the world I was playing in. One more problem is with the game's "Radiant AI." It's awesome that they leave their houses and go about town and do various things, but if they're going to have conversations...well...the voice acting for the most part is bad, but most of the conversations sound like Public Service Announcements anywa. "How are things with you?" "The [armor shop] in town makes great armor." "Bye." Spellmaking is a great idea, but there are only about four different spell animations, and although there are an IMMENSE number of spells (because you can make your own), there really aren't very many effects, which means you're basically casting the same four or five spells the entire game long. This isn't so different from other games, but it seems like the system here was setup to be so much more interesting than it turned out to be. Making up your own class is great, especially because if you want to play a warrior, you can't pick any of the preset ones due to the aforementioned leveling system. So essentially there's only one class I'll ever pick: custom. The game is absolutely huge and tried to do so much, but, at least for me, failed to really engage me in any meaningful way. This was a really great engine for an Role-playing game, I just wish there'd been a roleplaying game to play.

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Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The

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